My Sister is Here and Doesn’t Have An Appointment.
Could You Just Take A Quick Look At Her?

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My Sister is Here and Doesn’t Have An Appointment. Could You Just Take A Quick Look At Her?

My Sister is Here and Doesn’t Have An Appointment. Could You Just Take A Quick Look At Her?

If you come to the office with a friend or relative who doesn’t have an appointment and on the way to the office, they confide in you that they have a very scarey black spot on their back that is changing, please do not hesitate to ask us to take a look at it. You might just save their life. That case, however, is usually the exception. Most often physicians are asked to “just take a quick look” at someone who does not have an appointment but happens to be accompanying a patient who does. Or we are asked by that relative or friend to answer questions about their care with another doctor.

Doing that puts us in a difficult situation. Whenever a doctor sees a patient, a legal relationship is created. And without a formal medical record, a doctor can be in legal jeopardy. Telling us (sometimes with a sarcastic attitude) that “it only takes a second to look” doesn’t change the legal situation either.

The solution is simple. When you arrive at the office, explain your situation to the receptionist and ask if your friend or relative can register as a patient and be seen. If it’s truly an emergency, we’ll almost always agree and squeeze them into the schedule. But if it’s just a matter of convenience and our schedule is already full, we appreciate your understanding.